I'm Hanging Up My Shoes!

It's the third week of the month, and that means I'll be unplugging. Have a great one, and I'll see you next Monday.

I'm Hanging Up My Shoes!

If you've been around here for a while, you know that during the third week of the month, I partially unplug from blogging. By that I mean that I don't post any new shoe pictures, and my topics are somewhat random. In November and December, however, I completely unplugged and did no blogging whatsoever. I got used to that. So, I'm going to do it again this month. I plan on using this time to get caught up on critiquing, as well as my own revisions. I hope you all have a wonderful week, and I'll see you next Monday!

I'm Hanging Up My Shoes! November, Day 5

As most of you know, I've been taking a more relaxed approach to blogging this week. I'm not posting new shoe pictures, and I'm writing about the five words my friend Deb at Ranch Girl Ramblings gave me. Today's word is: SUNSETS. Most people think of endings when they think of sunsets. Which is true. After all, they do signify that the day is drawing to a close. But I prefer to think of a sunset as a sign that I made it through till the end of that day, good or bad. When we finish a novel, it's always bitter-sweet. It feels like something has ended, but, at the same time, it gives us confirmation that we can, and actually have, completed something. It also marks the point of a new beginning. How do you feel about sunsets? Are they a dreaded ending, or do they give you a sense of accomplishment? Have a great weekend!

I'm Hanging Up My Shoes! November, Day 4

My friend Deb at Ranch Girl Ramblings gave me five words to blog about this week. Today's word is: FOUNTAINS Well, lucky for me, I live in a suburb outside of Kansas City. One of the biggest tourist attractions around here is The Plaza (well, it used to be, anyway, until the casinos and the race track came along). The Plaza is known for its fountains. Who knew water falling could be so beautiful? This is what listening to the wisdom of others has done for my writing. Now, I'm not saying it's as beautiful as that fountain, but it's getting there. Thanks to my beta readers and books like The Fire In Fiction by Donald Maass, my words are starting to flow like fountains, rather than just fall flat from the sky. I want people to stop and admire my words, not rush for cover or shield them with an umbrella. What about you? Do your words fall on the page? Or do they flow?

I'm Hanging Up My Shoes! November, Day 3

If you are stopping by for the first time this week, I should warn you that I'm taking a pseudo-break, and all my posts are short and simple. I'm blogging about five words that Deb at Ranch Girl Ramblings gave me. Today's word is: WISDOM. Now, I don't consider myself a wise person, but I do consider myself someone who soaks up knowledge and learns from her mistakes. To me, wisdom is relative. There are plenty of people who know way more than I do, and some who undoubtedly know less. The key to wisdom is to accept our limitations and listen to those who know more than we do. What does this have to do with writing? Well, you know I'm going to tell you, don't you? When I wrote my first manuscript, I celebrated through the times when the words flowed effortlessly. I growled when they didn't, but continued to write anyway. And I jumped for joy as I wrote 'THE END'. So I was done, right? Well, I thought I was. This is where wisdom failed me. I ignored all the advice from those who knew more than me, and proceeded to query agents. Guess what? Not a good idea. I soon learned that the masterpiece I'd spent months laboring over wasn't as good as I thought it was, and I finally accepted my limitations and sought out knowledge from those wiser than me. By doing so, I embraced my own wisdom and have grown not only as a writer, but as a person as well. What does wisdom mean to you? Come back tomorrow for my thoughts on what is possible when we embrace the wisdom of others.

I'm Hanging Up My Shoes! November, Day 2

If you were here yesterday, you know that I'm doing short, mindless posts this week. I'm blogging about five words that my friend Deb at Ranch Girl Ramblings gave me. Today's word is: MILESTONE So, you are writing along, the rain falling on your paper (or keyboard, these days), and BOOM!, you've got nothing. You trudge along anyway, just so you can make it to the end. The words are slow and labored, but eventually, you get to the last chapter, the last word, the last period. You, my friend, have hit a milestone. You have completed a novel. Whether it's your first or your fifteenth, it still feels good. But every milestone comes with a life lesson. It's up to you whether or not you learn from it. What milestone have you hit during your writing career? Join me tomorrow when I share the lessons I've learned.

I'm Hanging Up My Shoes! November, Day 1

Yes, it's the third week of the month. It's the week B.J. Anderson calls 'Unplug Week'. It's the week I call 'I'm Hanging Up My Shoes Week'. Unlike B.J., I don't unplug from blogging completely, I just take a step back. I don't scramble to find interesting shoe pictures to go with my posts, and I don't spend a lot of time coming up with a topic to write about. So, please, accept my apology in advance. Before I get on with the rest of this post, I'd like to thank Donald Maass for stopping by here and leaving a comment on my post about hyperbole. (Who says agents and editors don't read our blogs?) He was one of the last to comment that day, so if you missed it, you can read it here. He was the anonymous commenter toward the end. He offered some additional insight that I think you will find helpful. If you get a chance, go take a look. Okay, so this week, I'll be blogging about five words that my friend Deb at Ranch Girl Ramblings gave me. Today's word is: RAIN. Rain reminds me of the days when I first start writing a manuscript. (You knew I'd take the writing angle on this, didn't you?) The words just seem to fall on the page effortlessly. Ah, if only the rain would last forever. What part of writing does rain remind you of? Tune in tomorrow for what happens when the sky dries up.

I'm Hanging Up My Shoes...Again! Day 5

This is the last day of my 'partial' unplug week, and I have one more word to talk about from my friend Kristen Torres-Toro. Today's word is: Travel. Since I don't do much actual traveling, I get my fix from literature. I love reading about other times and places. And what better place to travel than to the Holy Lands during the Middle Ages? I'm thinking Russell Crowe in Gladiator. (For my male followers, you can think of whatever actress played his love interest.) Who wouldn't want to go there? That's where we are going today. Author K.M. Weiland has so graciously agreed to interview here about her newly released Behold the Dawn. Please welcome her with lots of comments. If you comment, your name will be entered into a drawing to receive a copy of the book. So here it is: 1. What inspired Behold the Dawn? I happened to pick up a children’s picture book about William Marshall, the “greatest knight who ever lived.” He was a second-born son who had to make his fortune by competing in the tourneys—the huge mock battles which were the predecessors of the slightly more civilized jousting tournaments. Despite being repeatedly banned by the popes, tourneys remained wildly popular until high mortality rates forced the sport to evolve into the more familiar (and much safer) jousting tournaments. After a long career as one of the most renowned tourneyers of the age, Marshall finally hung up his spurs and headed for the Holy Land to seek absolution. I’ve always been drawn to the Middle Ages, and I was instantly intrigued by these gladiatorial battles and their juxtaposition with the Crusades. From there, my imagination just took off! 2. Who is your favorite character? Oh, Marcus Annan, my main character, definitely! He dominated every page and absolutely took charge of the story. He was one of those special larger-than-life characters who are definitive to a writing career. His strength, his courage, and his haunted past… he was a blast to write. In fact, he’s easily one my favorites out of all the characters I’ve ever written. And that’s saying something, because this story, in particular, gave birth to quite a cast, including Annan’s smart aleck servant Peregrine Marek, the fugitive countess Lady Mairead, a conflicted Templar named Warin, and a triad of very scary bad guys! 3. What does your typical writing day look like? Fast and furious! I get up at the absolute earliest I’m physically capable of dragging myself out of bed (which is *ahem* 7 o’clock), have my morning devotions for about an hour, work out for half an hour, eat breakfast and hit the shower, check email, then head to work (which happens to be just as far away as my own desk chair) and put in my time for the church ministry I work for part time. Around two, I check emails once more, then dive into whatever “extra” project I may be facing, whether it be blog posts, editing, critiquing, or cleaning the house. My official writing time starts every afternoon at four o’clock. I spend about thirty minutes warming up—scribbling in my writing journal and proofreading what I wrote the previous day—then I pick a soundtrack and dive into the magical world of fiction until six o’clock. 4. What’s the best review you’ve ever gotten on your writing? They’re all good—even the bad ones, since they let me know what I need to improve. But anytime someone tells me I made them laugh or cry out loud, I know I nailed it. Dreaming about my characters and not breathing during tense scenes are also special reactions. But I think the ones I tend to remember most are the ones that come on bad days, when I happen to be doubting myself and my worth as a writer. I got one of those earlier this year, when someone told me they’d added my book A Man Called Outlaw as one of only three books on their “must-read list.” That one meant a lot. 5. What’s next? I have several projects in the works. I have a completed fantasy, Dreamers Come (about a man who discovers that his dreams are really memories of another world) waiting for another round of edits. I also just started outlining my next project, a historical novel called The Deepest Breath about the passion, betrayal, and vengeance that dog two men and the woman they both love through the trenches of World War I, corruption in colonial Kenya, and the criminal underbelly of London. And I’m also working on a fun co-writing project that asks, “What if Robin Hood met Sleeping Beauty?” You can also view the trailer for Behold the Dawn here. Have a great weekend!

I'm Hanging Up My Shoes...Again! Day 4

Boy, this week is flying by. It seems like just yesterday, I explained that I was "partially" unplugging for the week and that I'd be blogging about the five words that my friend Kristen Torres-Toro gave me. I'm blogging about a different one each day. And here it is, already Thursday. Where does the time go? Anyway, today's word (or phrase) is: Caffeine Fix Well, that's easy. Coffee. No doubt about it. I have loved coffee since the very first time I tasted it (I think I was ten). I used to drink tea and diet coke, too, but I gave those beverages up. I could never give up coffee, though. It's a bad habit. I know. But I'm not pleasant until I've had my coffee. I did, however, give it up when I was pregnant (all three times), and I was fine. I had to be, you know, for the good of the child. So why can't I give it up now? This has got me thinking about my writing habits. How many of them are necessary? How many are all in my head? My worst habit when it comes to writing is editing as I go. It slows me down, and I waste a lot of paper, much to the chagrin of my eco-friendly daughter. With NaNo coming up, this just will not work. Why can't I just kick the habit for the good of my new baby (manuscript) and write, write, write, without editing, editing, editing? Do you have any bad writing habits? Please tell me you do so I don't feel all alone. Also, please pop in tomorrow for my interview with K.M. Weiland, author of the newly released Behold the Dawn. Now, I'm not trying to bribe you or anything, but there will be a giveaway.

I'm Hanging Up My Shoes...Again! Day 3

So, I've been given five words to blog about during this week of "partial unplugging" by Kristen Torres-Toro. Today's word (or phrase) is: Favorite Word. I thought long and hard about this, and considered talking about something really deep like 'GRACE', or 'FORGIVENESS', or 'LOVE'. But I think we all have our own convictions when it comes to those things, and anything I had to say about them would be redundant. So, I had an impartial judge decide what my favorite word is. I turned to wordle.com. I entered the last ten posts on my blog, and it spit out this collage of words. It was quite fascinating actually, and I tried to upload it here, but I couldn't for some reason (probably because I'm technically challenged in that way). It was in the shape of the sole of shoe. Imagine that. Anyway, according to Wordle, my favorite word, at least when blogging, is WRITING. That's a good thing, considering that's what this blog is supposed to be about. I was smiling for a moment, but then I thought about my manuscript. What word would stick out there? So I entered the first chapter, and my new shoe collage showed in huge print the names of my two male lead characters. But not much smaller than that was the word 'back'. Hmm? I suppose I might have overused this word. 'I turned back', 'I looked back', 'I glanced back', and my favorite, 'He placed his hand on the small of my back'. Aye! What about you? Do you have a favorite word that you overuse when writing? If so, how do you keep yourself from doing it?

I'm Hanging Up My Shoes...Again! Day 2

As most of you know, I'm taking a break from new shoe pictures this week to channel some of my creative energy into my writing. I'm still posting, and I'm still reading blogs, but I'm sparing myself from the task of searching out new pictures of shoes. While I'm partially unplugging this week, I've decided to do something I was supposed to a while back. Kristen Torres-Toro has given me five words to blog about, so I thought I'd blog about one of the words each day. Today's word (or phrase) is: First Job. My first job was at Tippin's Pie Pantry as a cashier. I was fifteen years old and loved working with money as much as I loved writing (which would explain why I went on to major in accounting, a thought I'm seriously reconsidering right now). Anyway, you may think that the best part of this job was the free pie. Well, that was good, but the best part was the people watching opportunity. You see, Tippin's was also a restaurant, and the waiting area for diners was right in front of the cashier station. I remember making up stories about the people waiting to pass my time on the job. Of course, it might have been great fodder had I remembered anything when I got home. I didn't, but it sure made working there a lot more entertaining. What about you? Have any of your jobs inspired stories? Don't forget about Friday's interview with K.M. Weiland. There's also a giveaway involved.

I'm Hanging Up My Shoes...Again!

As most of you know, last month I joined in on B.J. Anderson's unplug week. Well, I did partially, and by partially, I mean that I didn't post any new shoe pictures. It freed up my creative energy for writing, which I need to do now, so I'm going to partially unplug again. I will still post and read all of your blogs, but I apologize in advance for the lack of new shoe pictures for the week. Anyway, I have a few things to talk about today, so bear with me. I'll try to make it as short and sweet as possible. First of all, I need to announce the winner of last week's drawing. Please congratulate Janna Qualman who chose Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen. Congratulations! I'll be in touch with you. Second, I want to thank Shelli for the Lemonade Award, and Nicolette for the Head In The Clouds Award. Thanks, ladies! Third, I hope you can all join me on Friday for an interview with K.M. Weiland, author of Behold The Dawn. I'm thrilled she chose to stop by here as part of her blog tour for the book's release. I hope you all pop in to hear what she has to say. Now, finally, Kristen Torres-Toro has given me five words to blog about, so I thought that while I'm "partially" unplugging this week, I'd do one word a day. So, today's word (or phrase) is: RETREAT. Since it has been unseasonably cold here, my answer to this is: in front of the fireplace after everyone else in the house is asleep. It's quiet. It's cozy. And it's my time do whatever I want. I usually end up writing because I consider that a retreat in itself, but if I don't feel like doing that, I read or watch television. Either way, I feel like it is a part of my writing life. My spot in front of the fire is either used for writing or as a break from writing. It's a win/win situation. So, what about you? Do you have a spot that facilitates both writing and a break from writing? If so, please share.

I'm Hanging Up My Shoes! Day 5

This is the last day of my week of partially unplugging. It's been fantastic. I've gotten a great deal of revision done. Thanks for putting up with the lack of new shoe pictures and short posts. Today's question is: What goal are you currently working toward in your writing? What's your ultimate goal? (I know, that's two questions again.) Currently, I'm trying to improve my writing skills. I've learned a great deal over the last several months, and I'm trying to incorporate that into my writing. Ultimately, I hope to be published, but I also never want to lose my love of writing. And, since it's Friday, I'm doing more than just a question today. I couldn't let a Friday go by without giving the Silver Shoe of Sincerity Award to someone. To learn more see this post. This week's recipient is Katie Salidas (a.k.a. quixotic) at Step 1: Write, edit, and revise. She was my very first follower, and her blog interaction is honest and of the highest level of sincerity. If you haven't already, go check out her blog. Have a great weekend!

I'm Hanging Up My Shoes! Day 4

For those of you who are new to my blog, or are visiting for the first time this week, I'm partially unplugging this week. This means no new shoe pictures and short simple posts consisting of only one question. Today's question is: What do you write? And why? (Okay, that's two questions, but it's my blog, and I'm entitled to break the rules if I want to.) I write, as most of you know, young adult fiction. I chose this genre because it takes me back to that time in my life. It's not that I want to go back to being a teenager because we all know that being a teenager isn't all it's cracked up to be. But there is something to be said for the newness of life experiences during those years. There are so many firsts, and firsts (good or bad) are exciting. Do you think I'm having a mid-life crisis? :)

I'm Hanging Up My Shoes! Day 3

If you don't know already, I'm unplugging this week (sort of). There are no new shoe pictures, and my posts are nothing more than simple questions for you. Today's question is: What is your least favorite thing about writing? Oddly enough, my least favorite thing is somewhat the same as my favorite thing. I don't like the seclusion. Some days, I feel like I'm out of touch with reality. Don't get me wrong; while I'm writing, I love the seclusion, but when I'm experiencing real life, I sometimes don't appreciate it because my mind and emotions are focused on my fictional world, not the real world. Does this make sense?

I'm Hanging Up My Shoes! Day 2

As I mentioned yesterday, I'm partially unplugging this week, so my posts will have no new shoe pictures and will consist of only a simple question for you. Today's question is: What is your favorite thing about writing? My favorite thing is that it takes me to another world, just like reading does. It's an escape of sorts. Every day that I write, even if it's just a sentence or two, I feel rejuvenated. Sorry, please excuse me, but that other world is calling me. See you tomorrow!

I'm Hanging Up My Shoes!

At least for a week. I believe it was B.J. Anderson who started this blog tradition known as Unplug Week. It is intended to be a week of no social networking so we writers can just write. I participated in July, and I have to admit that I was miserable. I missed blogging, so I chose not to participate in August. However, I find myself, now, feeling the need to take a little break. As you may or may not have guessed from my recent posts, I'm in the thick of the revision process. The kind of revising I need to do requires a great deal of creativity, and I'm finding that my creativity is all being spent on writing my posts and finding shoes to go along with them. So, I've decided to join B.J. in unplugging this week. Well, sort of. I'll still be posting, and I'll still be reading and commenting on your blogs, but there will be no new shoe pictures this week. The ones you see here will be on the rest of my posts, which will consist of nothing more than a simple question for you. That being said, today's question is: When did you start writing? I started writing in kindergarten. It was just a simple Mother's Day card, but I knew right then that I loved to write, and I've been doing it ever since. Now, I must go write, or revise in this case. Have a great day!

On The Road Again!

This time it really is for a vacation--no baseball involved. We are going to Table Rock Lake. It's perfect timing since Unplug Week starts Monday. You know, the week when writers are supposed to stay away from all social networking. No blogging, no twittering, no Facebook. It's meant to be a time to just write. I doubt I'll get much of that done, but I am going to enjoy the time with my family.

If I get reception, I'll most likely read your blogs on my cell phone. I won't be able to comment, but I'll be reading them. I know. That's cheating. But I can't help myself. Do you think that means I have a problem? Does anyone know of a Blogoholics Anonymous group I can join?

By the way, if you happen to be blogging this week, stop by the Slumpbuster Challenge. Click on the penguin in my sidebar to add a sentence. If you're unplugging, Happy Writing!

Have a great week!